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  Tuesday, January 13, 2004

    

Students riot over university closure
Standard Team
University students went on the rampage and destroyed property yesterday after the institution was closed following the collapse of the salary talks.

The students of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology set on fire furniture from the office of the chancellor, Prof Ali Mazrui.

The riot was triggered off by a circular signed by the vice-chancellor, Prof Nick Wanjohi, informing them that the university had been closed indefinitely and they should vacate the campus by noon.

The decision to send the students home followed the collapse on Sunday of talks between striking lecturers and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum.

Students of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology demonstrate over the closure of their campus. Pic by Elvis Ogina

The collapse of the talks worsened the crisis following a salaries strike by lecturers in November, which resulted in the closure of all public universities.

Yesterday, Education minister George Saitoti appealed to the lecturers’ union and the Forum to return to the negotiating table and "give dialogue a second chance".

In a statement, Prof Saitoti said it was regrettable that despite all efforts made by the council, the lecturers had refused to call off the strike.

"As Kenyans know, the current strike in public universities hurts the interest of the nation and especially those of the families with students whose learning has been disrupted."

The JKUAT students demanded to be paid Sh7,000 each — money they claim to have spent since Monday last week when they reported back after a two-month hiatus following the closure of all public universities on November 10. Anti-riot police officers watched as the students burnt Prof Mazrui’s office furniture whose worth was estimated at Sh120,000.

The students pulled out a sofa-set, tables and chairs from the administration block and set them on fire. Mazrui is the only chancellor who has publicly told the Government to pay lecturers well to stem the brain drain.

The students said their colleagues in other universities had been refunded their expenses.

At Kenyatta University, Universities Academic Staff Union officials vowed to carry on with the strike now in the third month.

The chapter chairman, Mr Jackton Ogweno, claimed the Gachukia-led Inter-University Council Consultative Forum was out to ruin Uasu and had no genuine agenda to pursue.

"We thought the forum was meant to sort out other pertinent issues afflicting the universities. We have since realised that its agenda was to trick us to call off the strike and go back to lecture theatres empty-handed. That is why we refused to sign a return-to-work formula on Sunday," said Ogweno.

Shadow Education minister, Prof Ruth Oniang’o, criticised the vice-chancellors of Maseno, JKUAT and Egerton for re-opening the institutions before a solution to the lecturers’ strike was found.

"The VCs should take full responsibility for the situation. Why did they decide to use students as baits to end the lecturers’ strike" posed Oniang’o in a telephone interview.

The Kanu Nominated MP and former JKUAT lecturer appealed to the Government to meet the lecturers’ salary demands.

She warned that should the Government make a mistake of unilaterally sacking lecturers — like the Kanu regime did in 1994 — higher education would irreparably suffer.

At Egerton University students deserted campus and went home after the salary talks flopped.

The over 3,500 students who have been at the Njoro Campus since Monday last week but have never been taught packed their belongings and streamed out of campus from 8 am.

The students had been given Sh500 each by the administration as fare reimbursement and their meals were also being subsidised for the week they stayed there.

Yesterday morning, the students left without any communication from the administration and their union leaders were left behind to consult.

The Students Union of Egerton University acting chairman, Asher Otiende, said they were disappointed by the collapse of the talks.

At Maseno University, where partial learning was going on, the senate yesterday held a crisis meeting.



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